Have you ever heard the saying,

“You can’t outwork a bad diet.”

It’s true. I know, I’ve tried… LOL! In fact, even today, after all I’ve learned about eating healthy & how eating affects the way I feel, I still struggle at times. I struggle because I like sweets, A LOT. It’s my kryptonite. Let’s not even mention chocolate…. Can I get an AMEN??? But, as much as I love sweets, I really do like feeling well, better. So every now & then I’ll get a little carried away & my body reminds me why it’s important to pay attention so I get myself back on track and reign it back in. I’d like to say it’s easy, but it’s not… but it is possible. There are things you can do that will help.  Over the years, I’ve learned a few so I thought I’d share them with you & maybe they’ll help you too!!

-Keep a workout journal:

Write your workouts down. What you do, the weight you use (if any), & how long it takes you. You can track your progress.  When I started working out, all I was thinking about was getting my weight under control, but there’s so much more. You are going to get stronger, faster, & more efficient. It’s a great feeling to go back and see how far you’ve come.  It will also help motivate you to keep pushing.

-Keep a food log:

WRITE it down. There are great apps out there that make it fairly easy.  As with anything, in the beginning it seems so time consuming, but it gets easier over time.

The app I use is: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/   As you start logging, it keeps record of it so if you go to log the same thing again, it will pop up and it’s easier to add. The app tracks calories and nutritional content. This will give you a clear picture of what your diet looks like. For me, I track my macros, so I can tell exactly how much protein, fat, & carbohydrates I’ve had each day.

-Set Goals:

Again, WRITE them down: There’s something about having it in front of you, referring to it, being able to see it that will help you have success. When my trainer first told me I should set some clear goals, I thought I didn’t need to. I wanted to lose weight, I thought that was enough.

But how much weight? Why? What happens when I do lose weight? Also, having your goals written down is awesome when you start crushing them & you can go back & see how far you’ve come!

-Start making small changes in your eating habits:

Don’t try to over hall a lifetime of habits in one week. That will only set you up for failure. Start small. One thing at a time. For me, once I started logging & could see exactly how I was eating, I was able to make a plan. The first thing I did was cut out bread after lunch. I didn’t even try to stop eating bread all together, I just tried to have it with breakfast or lunch. This was in the very beginning of me learning about carbs & contrary to what’s popular, carbs are not the enemy.  We need carbs for energy. What KIND of carbs you eat is important, but all in good time… First things first, start where you are and go from there. Start with your diet & tweak your habits over time. That was just an example from my diet, yours may be different so you may decide to lower your sugar intake or add in more veggies.

-Meal Plan:

This was really big for me. Still is… when I do well it’s because I’ve taken the time to plan out what I’m going to be eating, when I’ve done poorly (most of the time) it’s because I’ve failed to plan & have found myself starving, staring blankly into the frig & I end up eating whatever happens to be available. That’s usually not good. -On another note, it’s a good idea to stock up on good choices & get rid of the bad ones.

-Get enough rest:

Running on empty will stall the process. Make sure you’re getting enough rest. It will make a bigger difference than you think.

These are just a few things that have worked for me. Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once, just go ahead & get started. There are so many things that will help give us that edge or get us over a hump. The trick is to start putting some of them into practice. Over time, it does get easier & more manageable. And as with anything else in life give yourself a little grace. One last thing I want to share is the 80/20 rule. Shoot for eating healthy 80% of the time & use the 20% to allow yourself a little wiggle room! Every now & then a girl just wants a cupcake! 😉